SSDA Today - Fall/Winter 2016 - 18
FEATURE
Super Strong:
The Extraordinary Nature
of Leadership Resilience
BY ELLE ALLISON-NAPOLITANO, PhD.
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF WISDOM OUT
S
INCE 2000, WHEN I BEGAN A DISCIPLINED STUDY INTO THE NATURE OF WISDOM IN LEADERSHIP, I'VE BEEN
ENAMORED WITH UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LEADERS WHO RESPOND TO EVERY FRESH
CHALLENGE WITH EQUANIMITY, COURAGE, AND GRACE, AND THOSE LEADERS WHO WELL, KIND OF FALL
APART. THIS ENDEAVOR IS GRAVELY IMPORTANT TO ME, AS THE STAKES ARE EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH FOR
THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED. FOR LEADERS WHO RESPOND WELL TO ADVERSITY, LIFE AND WORK PRODUCES
HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, AND AN UNWAVERING SENSE OF MEANING AND PURPOSE. FOR LEADERS WHO FALL
APART EASILY IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, AND EVEN FOR THOSE WHO RESPOND TO ADVERSITY WITH GRIM
DETERMINATION, LIFE AND WORK IS STRESSFUL, CHARACTERIZED BY A DIMINISHED SENSE OF MEANING.
NON-RESILIENT LEADERSHIP ALSO TAKES A HIGH TOLL ON ORGANIZATIONS SEEN IN UNMET GOALS, STALLED AND ABANDONED INITIATIVES, WORKFORCE DISENGAGEMENT, AND A LACK OF PASSION, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION. ON THE OTHER
HAND, MORE RESILIENT INDIVIDUALS IN A SYSTEM AMPLIFY THE RESILIENCE OF THE LARGER SYSTEM. WHEN ONE PERSON
BOUNCES FORWARD, THE WHOLE SYSTEM BOUNCES FORWARD.
Unsurprisingly, as wisdom is mostly
gained through The College of Hard
Knocks, leaders who are seen as having
wisdom are also highly resilient. But the
resilience they possess goes far beyond
the ability to bounce back in the face of
hardship. These leaders actually grow
stronger because of adversity; they
bounce forward and they take the whole
organization with them.
18
SSDA TODAY | FALL/WINTER 2016
BEAUTIFULLY ORDINARY RESILIENCE AND
EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP RESILIENCE
What we know about resilience is tantalizingly optimistic. Not only are most
people personally resilient, but everyone
can learn practices to become even more
resilient. It helps to explore in brief, the
difference between what I call, Beautifully
Ordinary Resilience and Extraordinary
Leadership Resilience.
First, ordinary resilience is "beautiful"
because without it, not a one of us would
be here today. Ordinary resilience allows
us to restore previous levels of functioning in spite of adversity. With ordinary
resilience we are able to get things back
on track and resume the path we've been
on, with little fall out. Ordinary resilience
in other words, creates outcomes that
resemble the current status quo, which
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SSDA Today - Fall/Winter 2016
Executive Director's Column
New Federal Guidance on Transgender Bathroom Access
List of Initiatives Headed to November Ballot Long and Diverse
Ballot Measure Wild Card: Gov. Jerry Brown
What Every Leader Needs to Know about Technology: Education Innovation Alliance
Is Your Compensation “Creditable” Towards Retirement? New CalSTRS Regulations Seek to Further Clarify the Answer
Super Strong: The Extraordinary Nature of Leadership Resilience
News and Notes
Advertiser's Index
SSDA Today - Fall/Winter 2016
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